Nebraska Football: Is Stanley Jean-Baptiste Really the Next Richard Sherman?

Could former Husker cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste really be the next Richard Sherman? NFL Media senior analyst Gill Brandt thinks so.

As NFL.com reported, Brandt sees a lot of similarities between the two.

"Jean-Baptiste has rare size (6-foot-2 3/8, 215); he looks like a clone of Richard Sherman," Brandt said. "I'm sure the Seahawks, among most NFL teams, will be paying close attention to this player."

As of now, Jean-Baptiste is projected to be drafted in the third round, according to CBSSports.com. His performance at the NFL combine definitely didn't hurt his draft stock, either.

Jean-Baptiste posted a vertical leap of 41.5", which was the highest of any defensive back. As Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star noted (subscription required), his broad jump of 128" also stood out. It tied for third among the defensive backs at the combine.

While his 40-yard-dash time of 4.61 seconds was more average, as well as his 13 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds, Jean-Baptiste still made a statement. With it, the comparisons to Sherman were made.

While some were not overly impressed with Jean-Baptiste's 40-yard dash time, it's worth noting that Richard Sherman's time was not exactly outstanding in 2011. He posted an official time of 4.54 seconds.

How did Jean-Baptiste measure up to Sherman on everything else, though?

	Height	Weight	40-Yard Dash	Bench Reps (225 lbs)	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump
Jean-Baptiste	6'3"	218 lbs	4.61	13	41.5"	128"
Sherman	6'3"	195 lbs	4.54	16	38"	125"

Their size is definitely comparable. As Sherman showed in the NFC Championship Game, extra length on a cornerback allows bigger plays to be made.

"The bigger corner can do 90 percent of the play wrong and at the last second sway that ball away, and that's what Jean-Baptiste and these other bigger corners bring to the table," said Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage, as reported by NFL.com.

Beyond size, Jean-Baptiste outshines Sherman in the vertical jump. This is definitely where the former Husker got the most attention. His broad jump is also just a tad higher than Sherman's.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

One thing Jean-Baptiste can learn from Sherman is to use his size to be more physical. That's one area NFL personnel noted as a place for improvement from Jean-Baptiste. Otherwise, on paper, Jean-Baptiste does stack up well against Sherman.

What does Jean-Baptiste think about the comparison? When he heard Brandt's comments, he was flattered.

"For him to compare me to Richer Sherman, that's something big," Jean-Baptiste told NFL.com. "I appreciate that. I believe he's doing really good right now. He's showing everybody in the NFL why he's the best," Jean-Baptiste said.

So is Jean-Baptiste the next Richard Sherman? Based on the NFL combine, the comparisons are definitely fair.

It's now up to Jean-Baptiste to prove the comparison right or wrong.